Sie sind auf Seite 1von 16

What is a reactor?

A device for containing and controlling any kind of reaction.

The reactors, in which


chemicals are made in
industry, vary in size from a
few cm3 to the vast structures
that are often depicted in
photographs of industrial
plants.
Types of reactors

BATCH TYPE REACTORS


Batch reactors

Batch reactors are used for most of the reactions carried out in a laboratory. The
reactants are placed in a test-tube, flask or beaker. They are mixed together, often
heated for the reaction to take place and are then cooled. The products are poured
out and, if necessary, purified.
This procedure is also carried out in
industry, the key difference being,
size of reactor and the quantities of
reactants. One in which feed material
is treated as a whole for a fixed period
of time
Semi-batch reactors

A semi batch reactor allows partial filling of reactants with the flexibility of
adding more as time progresses. Stirring in both types is very efficient, which
allows batch and semi batch reactors to assume a uniform composition and
temperature throughout.
Continuous reactors

An alternative to a batch process is to feed the reactants continuously into the


reactor at one point, allow the reaction to take place and withdraw the products
at another point. There must be an equal flow rate of reactants and products
Continuous reactors are normally installed
when large quantities of a chemical are
being produced. It is important that the
reactor can operate for several months
without a shutdown.
Types of continuous reactors

Tubular
Fixed
Fluid
Continuous
bed
bed
reactors
reactors
reactors
stirred tank reactors
Tubular reactor

In a tubular reactor, fluids (gases and/or liquids) flow through it at high velocities.
As the reactants flow, for example along a heated pipe, they are converted to
products. At these high velocities, the products are unable to diffuse back and
there is little or no back mixing.
This reduces the occurrence of side reactions and increases the yield of the
desired product.
The reaction rate is faster at the pipe inlet because the concentration of reactants
is at its highest and the reaction rate reduces as the reactants flow through the
pipe due to the decrease in
concentration of the reactant.

Examples-
In the steam cracking of ethane, propane
and butane and naphtha to produce
alkenes.
Fixed bed reactor

A heterogeneous catalyst is used frequently in industry where gases flow through a


solid catalyst (which is often in the form of small pellets to increase the surface area).
It is often described as a fixed bed of catalyst

Examples –
1)manufacture of sulfuric acid (vanadium(V) oxide as
catalyst)
2)manufacture of nitric acid ( iron as the catalyst)
3)manufacture of ammonia ( iron as the catalyst).
Fluid bed reactor

A fluid bed reactor is sometimes used whereby the catalyst particles, which are
very fine, sit on a distributor plate. When the gaseous reactants pass through the
distributor plate, the particles are carried with the gases forming a fluid. This
ensures very good mixing of the reactants with the catalyst, with very high contact
between the gaseous molecules and the catalyst and a good heat transfer. This
results in a rapid reaction and a uniform mixture, reducing the variability of the
process conditions.

On the left hand side, the particles are at rest.


On the right hand side, the particles
are now acting as a fluid, as the gaseous
reactants pass through the solid.
Part of the catalytic cracker at Fawley in the south of England.
1 Fractionating column to remove and recover the butanes
2 The catalyst regenerator
3 Fractionating column to remove and recover ethane
Continuous stirred tank reactor

In a CSTR, one or more reactants, for example in solution or as a slurry, are


introduced into a reactor equipped with an impeller (stirrer) and the products are
removed continuously. The impeller stirs the reagents vigorously to ensure good
mixing so that there is a uniform composition throughout. The composition at the
outlet is the same as in the bulk in the reactor. These are exactly the opposite
conditions to those in a tubular flow reactor where there is virtually no mixing of
the reactants and the products.

A steady state must be reached where the


flow rate into the reactor equals the flow
rate out, for otherwise the tank would
empty or overflow.
A CSTR reactor, used to make poly(ethene) in
bulk.
Reactor design parameters
Reactor design basically means which type and size of
reactor and method of operation we should employ for a
given conversation
Parameters
• Volume of reactor
• Flow rate
• Concentration of feed
• Reaction kinetic
• Temperature
• pressure
Plug flow reactors
• Plug flow- flow of fluid through reactor with
order so that only lateral mixing is possible.
• One or more fluid reagents are pumped
through a pipe or tube
• One or more fluid reagents are pumped
through
a pipe or tube.
• Reagents may be introduced into the reactor
inlet
• All calculations performed with PFR’s assume no
upstream or downstream mixing.
• Has a higher efficiency than a CSTR at the same
value.

• Reagents may be introduced into the reactor’s inlet


• Reagents may be introduced into the reactor’s inlet
• Reagents may be introduced into the reactor’s inlet
• Reagents may be introduced into the reactor’

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen